Spirits of The Ninja
by LucianUzumaki
Summary: What happens when Uzumaki Naruto is suddenly dropped into the life of Kurosaki Ichigo? Please R&R Thanx.
1. Chapter 1

This is my first attempt at a fan fiction. Any feed back welcome. Flames will be read them promptly ignored so if you want to waste your effort on someone who doesn't give a damn go right ahead.

I haven't really thought of a title and didn't want to spend time thinking up one so if that puts you out sorry. I'll come up with a title eventually.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Bleach. If I did I would be a very rich man and probably never work another day in my life.

Any way…Enough of this extra fluff that everyone knows about, but is unfortunately required, and now on to the story.

Chapter 1

"Naruto! The Hokage wants to see you right away!"

"But…but I'm in the middle of-

"Now Uzumaki!"

"sigh…ok I'm coming. Geez why does she need me now, I almost have my new technique down."

Fifteen minutes later

"Hokage-sama, I have brought Naruto as you asked."

"Thank you. You are dismissed."

"Granny Tsunade! Why did you have to call me now I was in the middle of training." Her eye twitches slightly at the Granny he always adds to her name.

"Shut up Naruto! And I told you not to call me that! Have some respect for the Hokage."

"I do respect the Hokage. When they don't try convincing everyone that they are twenty when they are really old, and when they can't stay sober, and when they can't keep any money more than a day without gambling it away, and when-"

"NARUTO!!! I TOLD YOU TO SHUT THE HELL UP!!!" Naruto took one look at her face and realized that she was a threads breadth away from jumping her desk and pounding him into an unrecognizable blob.

"Hehe…umm so what did you want me for." He asked quickly before she decided to hurt him. She took a deep breath to calm herself. _I don't know why I let him provoke me like that or how he is so easily able to get me angry. This mission should keep him out of my hair for several months. Hopefully it will keep him too busy to think about his coming confrontation with Sauske and Orochimaru. Plus he will get some interesting training from this mission._

"I have a mission for you-"

"Sauske! When do I-"

"Now hold on. This mission is not related to Sauske in any way. This mission is different than most of the ones you have been on, but I think it will help you out in a lot of ways. There is a boy around your age in another part of the world that has some interesting powers and we are sending you to learn about them. We have spoken with his father explaining every thing, but the boy believes that you are an exchange student that will be living with him for a while."

"But what about training!" Naruto demands angrily. "How am I supposed to get stronger if I can't train."

"I never said you couldn't train. It will be up to you if you want to disclose why you are really there to this boy. You must make this decision on your own and of you own free will. If you don't then your mission and your life could be put in danger."

"Who will be going with me?"

"No one. This is a solo mission."

"How will I know this kid when I see him?"

"He has orange hair. His name is Kurosaki Ichigo, and his family owns a clinic similar to a hospital."

"Oh Ok…When do I leave?"

"as soon as this meeting is done you will leave for his city."

"EH!! RIGHT AWAY BUT, BUT… can I tell anyone where I am going?"

"No you may not tell Sakura."

"I didn't say… I mean…I thought…nevermind." He huffs gruffly.

"Dismissed…and Naruto…stay safe." He gives his signature grin

"Always. You know me." Tsunade smiles in return.

"That's why I said stay safe."

Several days later…

"Umm Excuse me, but I'm new in town and I was looking for the Kurosaki Clinic."

"Huh…You lookin' for Kurosaki Clinic? Why? You don't look hurt."

"No I am supposed to be living-" Suddenly the guy he was talking to went flying from a powerful kick to the back.

"Hey, I was asking him directions!" Naruto complains loudly. He was about to raise further complaints when the mystery attacker stood up. It was a girl with short dark hair, and Naruto found her very attractive. The words died on his lips.

"Hi I'm Tatsuki. That guy is a bum and a thug. He hates the Kurosaki's so he probably would have fed you a load of shit then had his gang jump you somewhere."

"Uh…Thanks. By the way my name is Uzumaki Naruto."

"Oh…So you're the exchange student Ichigo has been complaining about for the last couple of days. Nice to meet you."

"Yeah…Nice you to meet…I mean nice to meet you too."

"Are you ok? You look kind of funny."

"I…" he shakes his head "Yeah I'm fine. So could you show me how to get to the Clinic?"

"Sure…I was heading there anyway." Naruto stares after her for a moment before following. "So where are you from Naruto?"

"I'm from a village called Konoha."

"Hmmm…Never heard of it. Must be far away. What do you like to do for fun?" Naruto answered before he had thought through his answer.

"I train almost all the time."

"Oh? Training at what?" _Shit! Why did I have to blurt that out…what can I say that's close to what I do…Martial Arts!!! Yeah that works._

"Martial Arts."

"Really? Me too! I was in a tournament this summer. I got disqualified because I broke my arm. I would have won too, but as it is I'm the second strongest girl in all of Japan."

"Wow that's interesting." _Damn it now I wish I had picked something different. Well I should be ok as long as she doesn't ask to-_

"Hey maybe we could spar sometime." _Damn it, me and my big mouth._

"Uh…maybe."

"Here we are, the Kurosaki Family Clinic. Well I'll see you in class on Monday.

"Thanks…Bye." _Wow she's…wow! Ok focus, focus, this mission is important. I can't let some pretty eyes and a nice ass distract me. Well here I go..._With that thought he steps up to the door and knocks firmly. _I just hope this Ichigo guy isn't a lame ass, I'd like to have some fun while I'm here._


	2. Chapter 2

I'm sorry it's taken so long to get the next chapter up. I just barely moved from San Diego to Utah and it kind of disrupted my normal schedule, what with finding a job and unloading all of my stuff, etc… Thank you for being patient, and thank you to all of those who took the time to type a review, I appreciate all of your comments. After all what would a writer be without an audience, right?

I don't own Bleach or Naruto, but I can dream right?

Now onto the story!

Chapter 2

Enter: Uzumaki Naruto!

Naruto stood at the door of Kurosaki's Clinic for what seemed like an eternity, but was in reality about ten minutes before the door finally opened. A kid his age, but a little bit taller stood in the door way. He had orange hair.

"Who the hell're you?" Naruto ground his teeth in anger. He was, after all, not known for his patience.

"I'm the God damned exchange student, and I've been standing here for the last ten minutes pounding on your damn door. What the hell took you so damn long!" Ichigo's perma-scowl deepened.

"Watch it shorty, this is my house and if I want to take ten minutes to get to the damn door then you can sit your short ass down and wait ten minuets."

"Wha…short…ohhoho you just crossed the line buddy. I'm gonna kick your ass."

"Oh Yeah! I'd like to see you try _Shorty._" Naruto and Ichigo lunged at each other at the same time.

A black eye, fat lip, and two bloodied noses later…

"Hey sorry about that eye, I kinda had a rough night and it pissed me off to wake up to that pounding."

"Yeah, it's cool sorry about your lip, I ain't known to be very patient, and I don't like people making fun of my height."

"It's cool, besides now we don't have to go through any of that male bonding shit later, it's all done now."

"Sure, sounds good to me." Naruto gives his signature grin, Ichigo scowls.

"Your kind of a goof ain't ya."

"So I've been told."

"Where you from anyway?"

"It's a place called Konoha, most people haven't heard of it, 'cause it's kind of far away."

"Why'd you decide to come here?"

"I heard there were some really hot chicks in this town." Naruto responds with a mischievous grin.

"Bullshit."

"Nah, I just wanted to see what life was like in a city. Konoha is kida big, but it's not too busy like a real city. I just wanted to find out for myself if city livin' was all that great, like everybody claims it is." Ichigo glances at this strange exchange student. _He sure as hell doesn't look too impressed by the big city. He seems at ease here, not at all like someone who has never been to a city before. Plus I feel strange around him. There's more to him than meets the eye. Also he was able to hold his ground against me one on one, not many people could do that. I'll have to ask Rukia to check him out with Hat N' Clogs._

"This city's busy alright, but most of it you won't see." Ichigo mutters under his breath.

"Why's that?" Ichigo looks up sharply.

"What?"

"Why won't I see most of it?" Ichigo blinks at him stupidly. _Damn this kid's got some good ears. _"Earth to Ichigo, come in."

"Oh…Yeah, well you won't see most of it because it mostly gets busy at night."

"Oh that makes sense." At that precise moment Ichigo was ambushed from above by a blur with a beard.

"AHA! I caught you red handed! No friends allowed in this house without my knowledge!"

"WHAT! That's not a rule! I've had friends over all the time and you haven't said a single thing!"

"That is because this is a new rule, one that I am going to enforce!" Ichigo stood glaring at his father, who glared right back, then the exchange of blows began. Before either of them could see what happened, Naruto was between them Ichigo's leg in one hand, and his father's fist in the other. He pushed them both away and remained between them.

"I don't know what's going on, but I don't like it." He said looking from father to son.

"How the hell…?" Ichigo stood staring at Naruto with his mouth hanging open.

"Are you trying to catch flies Ichigo?" Naruto asks smirking. Ichigo's mouth snaps shut and his scowl deepens.

"Ahh, it seems as if you have found a friend even more formidable than Tatsuki, and he has a very strong sense of justice. OK! This new friend of yours is allowed to come over when ever he wants!"

"…….Uh, Dad, this is Uzumaki Naruto…The exchange student that you said could live here."

"….Of course! I knew that! It was a test you see! You passed with flying colors!"

"GRRR….STUPID! YOU DIDN'T KNOW WHO THE HELL HE WAS UNTIL I TOLD YOU!"

"_I think I'm going to like it here."_

"Don't get too comfortable kid. You know that I won't let you get too close to anyone. You do remember the last time you tried to help a friend don't you?"

"_Shut the hell up you damn fox! I will get Sauske back and there is no way that I am going to let you stop me!"_

"How do you expect to beat him, when you couldn't even see his movements last time? He didn't even release his first level cursed seal, what happens if he does that, or even the second stage? Face it kid, you can't save him with your own strength. You need my power. YOU NEED MY POWER TO BEAT HIM!!!"

"_SHUT THE HELL UP!! I DON'T NEED YOU OR YOU'RE FUCKING POWER! I CAN SAVE HIM WITHOUT YOU!!"_

"Always remember this, brat, I am the one who gave you the power to defeat and fight those who you could not with your own power. Gaara, Neji, Kimmimaro, Sauske, Orochimaru. All of those you fought I was the one who came to the rescue at the end. If you had fought them with your own power you would have died. Remember it well."

"_Fuck off you bastard fox!"_

"Remember it well."


	3. Chapter 3

I apologize to all of you for taking so long to update. I've been kinda busy lately and haven't had time to work on my fic. Again I appreciate the reviews.

Still don't own Bleach or Naruto

Now onto the fic!!!

Chapter 3

Of Sparing, Ramen, and Really Big Rodents

After the awkward situation with Ichigo and his dad finally settled down Naruto was shown to the room he would be staying in. Unfortunately Ichigo had not known that Naruto was going to show up, and had not planned accordingly. As soon as Ichigo opened the door to his room, what looked like a small, furry bullet attacked him with cries of…

"RUKIA!!! She has left me all alone, and I am not appreciated anymore!!!" _Oh Shit! I totally forgot about Kon! Damnit…think…think!_

"What the hell is that thing!" It was then that Kon noticed the Blonde with Ichigo, and immediately dropped to the floor lifeless. If Naruto had been in his ninja gear he would have impaled the bear with several kunai, as it was he decided that the best course of action was to drop kick the creepy little stuffed animal out the window. "Dude, you have got some of the biggest rodents I have ever seen!"

"Uhhh….sure…yeah we have a…rodent problem around here, they get pretty big.." _Man this kid ain't too bright…he doesn't seem fazed at all that the so called 'rodent' was talking. Man this guy is somthin' one minute he's super strong, the next he the dumest kid on the planet. I really don't get him at all!_

_Ok I haven't been here even an hour yet, and already something strange has happened. I could sense a life force in that stuffed animal. Well at least I have something to write about my first day here. This place is ok, just as long as they have a ramen joint I'll be ok._

"Hey Ichigo, are there any good ramen places around here?"

"Ramen places? I wouldn't know I hate the shit."

"EH! You hate Ramen!!!? Man I thought you were a decent guy, but now I see I was wrong."

"Shut the hell up, just because I don't like ramen doesn't mean I'm a bad guy. I know some people that like the shit, so maybe I can get one of them to take you instead."

"Humph…hating ramen…fine I'll go with one of your friends."

"Inoue likes the stuff. She eats a lot of weird things, and a lot of them would make a normal person gain weight, but not her. I'll give her a call."

"yeah, yeah, just as long as she doesn't have a perma-scowl like you, and the humor of a rock, I'll be ok."

"You need to be more serious, you're a total goof."

"You need to have more fun, and stop looking like your trying to shit an elephant."

"Are you two trying to bring down the house or something?!!" It was then that they realized they had been shouting.

"Uhh…"

"Well…. Sorry." Naruto reddens a little. He was a guest here after all, even if it was a mission, and he need to be more civil. At least while Ichigo's family was around.

"These are my younger sisters Yuzu and Karin…this is Uzumaki Naruto, the exchange student dad told us about."

"Hi" the happier looking of the two said. The dark haired one only nodded stiffly. _Man she's just like Ichigo. Way too serious. What a drag… two of the same under one roof, I hope this Inoue is not like them otherwise I might just try fending for myself._

One hour later at Inoue's front door…

"Oh…Hi Kurosaki-kun. Ummm do you need something?"

"Hi Inoue. This is the exchange student I told you about a little while ago. His name is Uzumaki Naruto. I was wondering if you could take him to one of the ramen places around here. I don't like the stuff so I don't know any place to get some."

"Oh.. Sure Kurosaki-kun, I'd love to take your friend and show him around. Besides I was actually getting ready to go meet Tatsuki-chan for some Ramen anyway." Upon hearing Tatsuki's name Naruto perked up a little bit.

"Tatsuki's going to be there?"

"You know Tatsuki-chan already? Wow…it will be like a party, yeah!!!"

_Hmmm…this girl seems kind of strange, but at least she's happy and funny. Not to mention she has some of the biggest knockers I've ever seen. No where close to the Old Lady, but still…_

"yeah it could be like a party." Naruto agreed. Seeing Tatsuki again was just an added bonus…one that had a very nice ass.

Fifteen minutes later…

"Hi Tatsuki-chan!!! Look who I brought!! Naruto-kun." Tatsuki looked up in surprise. Naruto? That guy from earlier, who practiced martial arts? For some unexplained reason, she had the sudden urge to go to the bathroom to freshen up. _What the hell? I've never thought about this kind of shit before, and I certainly won't start now. Even for a guy with gorgeous blue eyes and…Stop it!! Damn it! I just barely met the guy, sheesh! Slow down damn hormones._

"Hi Tatsuki."

"Umm…Hi. I wasn't expecting to see you here Naruto."

"Well back home I was know as the number one most unpredictable nin…kid around." _Whew that was close…I almost blew my cover. _

"What's a nin-kid Naruto-kun?" Inoue asked curiously. He winced mentally.

"It isn't nin-kid Inoue…I've had this problem since I was a kid…Sometimes I say nin at the oddest moments. I've gotten a lot better at controlling it, but obviously it still happens. It's kind of like a stutter."

"Oh… well that's too bad…keep working at it and maybe it will go away."

"I hope so" Naruto pretends at being sad and not too hopeful.

_I don't buy that load of shit for one second…He was about to say something else and caught himself right at the last moment. Inoue might be school smart, but she is totally gullible…_

"Hey Naruto…We've got an hour or so before we have to head over to the Ramen place and my training area is right near here…how 'bout I take you up on that spar we talked about earlier." Naruto really did wince this time.

"Umm… I really don't feel…"

"Great, lets go." _Grrr…I really don't want to do this. I'll have to be really carefull not to use any Ninja techniques, and I even have to stick to basic tai-jutsu. She kinda reminds me of Sakura-chan, just a little more tom-boyish. Well I better hurry if I don't want her to get even more suspicious of me. Damn it, Ero-sennin I hate when you're right! My mouth IS to big for my own damn good._


	4. Chapter 4

Hello again. I've finally been able to mold into a schedule that allows more time for me to spend updating my fic. Hoorah! Hopefully I will be able to update more often now.

**Warning!! In this chapter I reveal the name of Naruto's brand new technique, from the manga Ch 337. If you don't want to learn it from me then do not read. If you don't care then go right ahead. I really don't think it's that big of a deal, but I don't want to drive away any of you readers by being discourteous.**

Blah blah blah…still don't own Bleach or Naruto.

Onto the story

Chapter 4

Secrets Revealed

"Tatsuki…I really don't-"

"What, are you chicken?" Naruto looked at her sharply, but didn't rise to the bait. "Afraid of losing to a girl, ya big chicken."

_Flashback_

"_Naruto…"_

"_Huh?"_

"_You're not hurt are ya…you big chicken?"_

"_Grrr…SAUSKE!!!"_

"_Naruto!"_

"_Huh?"_

"_These Ninja have poison on their claws and if you don't remove it soon…You'll die."_

"_I won't be scared and I won't run away. I make this oath on the pain of this hand. I'll protect you old man no matter what!! Believe it!"_

_End Flashback_

"No Way!! I'll fight you, and I'm gonna kick your ass!" _Whoa…what's up with the sudden change…Maybe my taunts really got to him. He looks kinda scary when he's all fired up, but at least he's willing to fight now._

"Oh? So you're not a chicken?"

"Hell no, I've face people much more skilled than you and come out on top. I'm not scared of you at all. In fact this couldn't even be considered a warm up for me." He replies smugly. If looks had the ability to kill Naruto would have died a very painful and horrible death.

"Warm up huh? We'll just have to see about that." The two were so busy exchanging insults that they totally forgot that Inoue was there. She kept glancing between her oldest friend and her newest friend with growing interest. Personally she thought that Naruto was going to be beat, and badly. No one could stand up to Tatsuki-chan other than Kurosaki-kun, but at least it would be fun to watch. They arrived at the sparsly wooded area that Tatsuki liked to practice in a few minutes later. Naruto and Tatsuki were still too involved in sending insult after insult at each other to notice Inoue stop. They continued to walk, totally oblivious of there surroundings.

"Tatsuki-chan! Look out!-" Too Late. With twin splashes, both Naruto and Tatsuki dropped into the river. That in and of itself was embarrassing, but the situation only got worse. It was a somewhat chilly day, and Tatsuki had been wearing a form fitting white shirt. When she came in contact with the cold water, it caused some rather obvious reactions in her body. Naruto came up spluttering, and wiped the water off his face. The first thing that caught his attention was Tatsuki coming up from the water a few feet from him, followed closely by the obvious changes her body had undergone after hitting the water. His face turned a deep red, but he was unable to tear his eyes away from her soaked body. She spluttered, then noticed how red Naruto's face had become. At first she was confused at why his face was such a deep red, but then she looked down at herself and, if possible, turned an even deeper shade of red than Naruto. She turned around quick as lightning for modesty's sake. Her first reaction was….

"YOU DAMN PERVERT! KEEP YOUR FUCKING EYES OFF MY BODY OR I MIGHT MAKE SOME SERIOUS CHANGES TO YOUR ANATOMY!!!!" He flinched visibly and turned away from her, still a deep shade of red

"**_Hey Kid, She doesn't have too bad of a body for a puny human, I wonder what the rest of her looks like, especially without those rags you call clothes. I never got why humans find it offensive to go around in what you were given at birth. It's like you're ashamed or something."_**

"_You bastard Fox!!! You're worse than Ero-Sennin, and that's saying something. He is THE Legendary Pervert after all, and we can't just walk around in the buff it's-"_

"_**It's what? Wrong? Offensive? Perverted? Vulgar? You do realize that you are the only creatures that cover up. That should tell you something brat."**_

"_Shut the hell up and leave my alone you damn Fox. I don't want to hear your opinions on what is ok for me to do, you are after all the Greatest of the Greater Demons, and you kill people just for the hell of it and destroy villages just 'cause you can." That comment was met with a deep rumbling laughter, that for some reason made Naruto flinch away in fear. He began backing away from the prison in which the Kyubi was sealed, then caught himself._

"_FUCK YOU FOX!! I'M NOT AFRAID OF YOU! DO YOU HEAR ME? I'M NOT AFRAID OF YOU!!!!! YOU MAY BE A LEGEND, BUT I WILL BE GREATER THAN LEGEND!!! I WILL BE THE GREATEST NINJA OF ALL TIME, ONE EVEN THE GREATER DEMONS WILL FEAR!!!" The deep rumbling had paused at the furious outbreak, and now silence was all that greeted Naruto's pledge._

"Naruto-kun are…are you ok?"

"Eh? Wha- yeah I'm fine why?"

"Well…your eyes they looked kind of funny for a minute…like they were bleeding or something."

"…no, I'm fine, honest."

"Good, because Tatsuki-chan's gonna kick your butt."

"…umm, about that, I-"

"GET YOUR ASS UP HERE YOU DAMN PERVERT!!" Naruto flinched again. He was in some serious trouble, and he knew it. Sakura-chan, had always seemed to have monstrous strength whenever anything perverted had been involved.

"…uh, ok I'll…be right there." As Naruto cleared the edge of the bank, what appeared to be a vast thunder head had settled behind Tatsuki, and her eyes flashed like lightning. (note: The thunder head is similar to the one Kakashi summoned when Team 7 broke his rule during the bell test.)

"…Umm…I suppose an apology wouldn't help would it."

"NOT ON YOUR LIFE, YA DAMN PERVERT!"

"…ok…"

_Oh Shit! I am totally going to die! She's gonna kill me. Even Sakura-chan has never looked this scary before._

Naruto was too worried about Tatsuki's rage, and the impending ass whooping he was about to receive to notice the humongous creature that was moving slowly toward them.

Elsewhere…

"…telling ya Chad, this guy is a total goof, but there is something strange about him. I have a feeling he's more than what he appears."

"Like us." His giant of a friend responds in his normal fasion…brief

"…..I didn't think about that. Hmmm….No he's not like us. I can't really sense any spirit pressure when around him.

"Well you were never very good at sensing spirit pressure in the first place Kurosaki."

"Ishida! When the hell did you get here!?"

"I've been here the whole time idiot!"

"….uh, right. Well any way he-" Ishida and Chad looked up sharply. "What the hell was that? It made a hollow seem like a fluffy little kitten." Ichigo looked at his Substitute Sinigami badge. It hadn't made a sound. "Well what ever it was it was brief, and it wasn't a hollow."

"It…felt old…and very powerful. It made the captains of soul society seem like little kids, even captain Yammamoto."

"…what could possibly be that powerful?"

"Aizen?"

"Not a chance in hell! Aizen would shit himself in the presence of what ever that was."

"well… perhaps we should ju-!" SHRIEEEEEEK, SHRIEEEEEEK, SHRIEEEEEEK, HOLLOW, HOLLOW, HOLLOW!!!!

"Holy shit!" Ichigo had leapt straight into the air at the sudden alarm. "This thing almost gives me a heart attack every time it goes off." He turned it off and was about to switch to his Shinigami form when…

SHRIEEEEEEK, SHRIEEEEEEK, SHRIEEEEEEK, HOLLOW, HOLLOW, HOLLOW!!!

"What the hell? Another one?" He turned it off again. "Damn it now there's two of em."

SHRIEEEEEEK, SHRIEEEEEEK, SHRIEEEEEEK, HOLLOWS, HOLLOWS, HOLLOWS!!! MULTIPLE HOLLOWS, MULTIPLE HOLLOWS, MULTIPLE HOLLOWS!!!!

"Fuck! Chad, Ishida, I'm gonna need your help on this one." They nod quickly and follow him in the direction of the gathering Hollows.

Back with Naruto…

"Tatsuki-chan!! Take Naruto and run! Quick, you have to get away from here NOW!!!"

"Wha-" Tatsuki had been focused on the pervert, but at Inoue's fearful tone she looked around, and nearly collapsed. _Holy shit! Where the hell did all these monsters come from! And why the hell didn't I notice them. I've been able to see and sense these things for a couple of weeks now. Ever since I saw Kurosaki fight that one at the hospital during that weird guy's live show. Why the hell are there so many!?_

Naruto had also looked up at Inoue's scream to run away. What he saw made his jaw drop.

"Holy shit! What the hell are those things!" In the clearing, surrounding them, were close to fifteen hollows. Surprisingly it was Inoue who answered.

"These things are called hollows. They are the souls of people who weren't able to go to soul society, or had something that held them here until they changed. They eat the souls of the living, and they target people with high spirit pressure. I haven't seen this many in one place before. We are in a lot of trouble."

"like hell we are. I'm not afraid of these things!"

"Naruto normal people can't hurt them. You may be able to see them, but you probably can't hurt them."

"I won't know until I try, will I?" He said giving his signature grin. As she watched he made a strange gesture with his hands and said "Release!" The air around him seemed to shimmer, then suddenly there was Naruto with an arsenal of weapons strapped every where on his person. Tatsuki and Inoue could only stare. _Where the hell did he get all of those weapons?_

"You Hollow's are making a big mistake attacking me."

"**Oh … what have we here. A tasty little treat that has a big m outh. Kid you have no idea what you're up against. We aren't push overs. We aren't even here for you. We sensed a powerful spirit in this area no single hollow could have taken it. You will be a tasty snack, before the m ain course.**

"Oh Yeah? You wanna try me?" The surrounding hollows laughed. Naruto's normal cheery attitude disappeared in an instant, and his blue eyes filled with determination. He reaches over each shoulder and pulls free two short bladed katana. He smile again, but this time it is one of such depravity as to cause the Hollows pause. In that moment of hesitation Naruto attacks with a strength gained under two and a half years of personal training from one of the Legengary Three. He specifically avoids the one that spoke, assuming him as the leader and the strongest of the Hollows. Naruto may be slower than Sauske, but he was almost at an equal level with him on overall strength. The first Hollow that got in his way attempted to crush him with a massive blow from it's enormous fists. The twin katana flashed in the light, and the Hollow let out a horrible shriek as both it's arms fell with a crash to the ground. Naruto figured that the katana by themselves could not cut through the bone looking armor that covered each Hollow, but with his added elemental chakra behind it, the armor caused little resistance. _I will not let these monsters have either of these girls. No way in hell. They are not some of my precious people, but…they could be eventually. Plus to a Hokage everyone is a precious person. I will not sit by and watch while they are killed._ Naruto flew by the injured Hollow, confronting the next closest one. His hands flashed another symbol "Kage Bushin no Jutsu!" and four clones appeared at his side. Each clone took a different direction and the small army of Naruto's decimated the ranks of the Hollow. He had not killed any of them, but he had made it impossible for them to fight in any way. Strewn across the clearing were the fallen Hollows, missing legs, arms, or both. Finally there was only one left, the one that had spoken up.

"**_What the hell are you !?? How the hell were you able to cut through them so easily. There's no way!!!_**

"A Death God? No I am not a Death God, I am Uzumaki Naruto Leaf-Style Ninja, and you made the biggest mistake by underestimating me." He slid the katana back into their sheaths on his back held his right hand out low. Slowly what appeared to be a controlled typhoon appeared in his hand, then it changed becoming jagged and razor sharp around the edges. Right before charging the hollow Naruto made one last comment. "_No one_ underestimates _**ME!!**" _ The Hollow took a desperate swing at this lethal kid that had destroyed fourteen Hollows like it was nothing, only to his empty space. He looked around not seeing him anywhere, when the sound of gale force winds brought his gaze up. **_"FUUTON: RASENGAN!!"_** The ground exploded in all directions causing an enormous cloud of dust to erupt into the air. When the air finally cleared where the hollow had been there was an enormous crater five times the height of the boy at its bottom. Inoue and Tatsuki's mouths were hanging open and their eyes were nearly popping out of their heads. _Holy shit!! And I wanted to fight HIM!!! He would have totally decimated me. How the hell could he do all those things! Holy shit, holy shit, HOLY SHIT!!!! _ Naruto jumped up to the edge of the crater he had created with his own personalized technique and smirked at the totally stunned girls standing in front of him.

"Ya know…if I didn't know any better, I'd say you two were trying to catch some flies, what with your mouths hanging open like that." Two mouths snapped shut.

"…how the…I mean you just…Holy shit!" Tatsuki said weakly.

"What _are_ you Naruto-kun?" Inoue asked, not expecting him to flinch at her choice of words. He looked at her for a very long time before finally…

"I'm a Ninja from The Village Hidden In The Leaves. I've been sent here on a mission to find out about your friend Ichigo and his powers."

OK this has been the longest chapter yet. I kind of thought about splitting it into two, and I could have, but I decided not to. I hope you enjoyed it.

As to the technique Naruto used against the last Hollow. If you haven't read the latest manga online (337) then I apologize for revealing the name of Naruto's new technique. I felt it would be a good place to use it so I did.


	5. Chapter 5

I'm sorry to inform you all that the computer I work on will be taking a vacation for about two weeks, late next week. I will try to get in as many chapters as I can between now and then so you will have something to read while I am unable to update. Thank you for your patience in this sad, sad matter.

Still poor…I mean…still don't own Naruto or Bleach.

Chapter 5

…Say What!!!

"Wait…you're a what…?"

"I am a Ninja, or Shinobi, from Konoha."

"…and why are you here again?"

"Your friend, Ichigo, has some interesting powers that my village wants to know about. This is just a precaution in case we ever have to face anyone with his kind of powers."

"…so…you're a spy?"

"…well…yes and no. It is my job to get the information, but how I do it is up to me."

"So what…were you just planning on showing up, a stranger, and asking him what his strange powers are even though he won't tell his best friends about it?"

"Tatsuki, I don't expect you to underst…wait…you just….you know what his powers are?"

"No. That's what I'm trying to tell you. He's had these strange abilities for awhile now and at first I didn't notice, but then suddenly I could see him and these monsters he fights."

"See him? What do you mean by 'see him' exactly?"

"Well… I don't really know how to explain it…Sometimes he just disappears during class, saying he's sick or something, and a few minuets later he comes back, but he's not himself. It's like he's a completely different person. At first I didn't really know what to think, but then one day he came back as the 'other' him and that's when I first heard _them._"

"Them? What's them?" Tatsuki looks around pointedly at the monsters surrounding them. "These things…the …hollows or whatever?" She nods. "You couldn't see them until a couple weeks ago?"

"Yeah. I was sitting there in class, when I heard this God-awful scream, but when I looked around the classroom no one seemed to notice. That in itself kinda weirded me out, but then I looked out the window to see if it was coming from outside, and that's when I saw Ichigo. He was dressed in this black robe thing with a white sash-like belt, and this huge sword in his hand. He was fighting one of these monsters, but he was still sitting in our classroom acting like nothing was happening."  
"This is everything you know? He's never told you anything about this transformation or his powers?"

"No. That's what I meant by what I said. You can't expect him to tell you about his secret, when he won't even tell me, and I'm one of his best friends. I've known him the longest out of all his friends and he won't even admit to it when I tell him point blank that I can see him and the monsters he fights."

"Hmmm…." _Well this is something interesting…he has some sort of power that allows him to fight these monsters, and he does it while outside of his body like a spirit or something. What did that hollow say…something about death? Maybe he was afraid of death and that's why he changed into the monster? No…that's not right. Well…I think of it eventually._

"What about you Inoue, do you know anything about these powers that Ichigo has?"

"…umm…powers?...I…I don't know what you're talking about. Kurosaki-kun is just a normal guy…umm… he doesn't have any powers." _Yeah right…and you're flat-chested. She knows…She knows what his powers are, more than Tatsuki anyway._

"Ok…well thanks for your help so far. Oh and one more thing…" They both look at him curiously. "Please don't tell Ichigo about this…I don't want him to know, not yet anyway." They nod in unison. "Great, thanks a lot you t-" it was then that he fell flat on his face. There was a moment of shocked silence then…

"OH MY GOD WHAT HAPPENED TO HIS BACK!!!!" Even though Naruto had put on a good show for the Hollows, they were tougher to fight then he let on. They had got him a few times during his rampage. Most of the wounds he had received were minor and easily healed by the Fox, but the last Hollow had taken a huge swipe at him right at the end and had made a direct hit. Four, inch deep, furrows ran the length of his back and it was bleeding badly. Had Naruto not had the Fox contained in him, and an almost inexhaustible stamina, he would have been killed on impact.

"How the hell was he able to stand and talk so calmly while injured so badly? We have to do something Inoue, or he's going to die."

"Maybe he should." She had spoken so softly that Tatsuki hadn't heard what she had said.

"What was that?"

"Maybe he should…die I mean." Tatsuki could only stare at her best friend in horror.

"What the hell are you saying Inoue. We can't just let him die!!"

"He's here to find out about Kurosaki-kun…He might hurt him or even kill him. Maybe we should just let him die."

"Inoue…you…I…HAVE YOU GONE INSANE!!! He didn't say he would hurt Ichigo, he said he wanted to find out what his powers are, we can't just let him die because you're afraid he might hurt Ichigo. He saved our lives not five minutes ago and yet you will just sit by and let him die!! That's not like you Inoue." _He might hurt Kurosaki-kun… He might hurt Kurosaki-kun…he just saved our lives…he might…he's like Kurosaki-kun…he has strange powers, the power to save others…what would Kurosaki-kun do? I have to give him a chance, I don't like seeing people in pain, even if they are an enemy._

Ichigo, Chad, and Ishida arrived on the scene while Inoue was trying to decide what she would do with the wounded Naruto.

"Holy shit!" Chad and Ishida could only not in agreement. "What the hell happened here!!? This isn't something a Shinigami would do!"

"Ichigo!...look!" Ichigo's eyes followed Chad's extended arm. There, on the other side of the decimated clearing were two familiar figures bent over a dark shape on the ground. _Oh shit! Don't tell me that Naruto got hurt by these bastards. He wouldn't have stood a chance against them. He wouldn't even be able to see them._

"**Beware the Red-Eyed Devil, boy, his power rivals yours."**

"Red-Eyed Devil? Is that what did this?" Ishida questions.

"**We came for the power we sensed in the area. It was too great for any one hollow alone, even Aizen-sama would hesitate to face this ancient power alone. We were not expecting a seemingly normal human to be so strong. The devil we sensed was no longer here, but a devil of a different sort waited for us. He was like the wind….untouchable."**

Ichigo looked for a long moment at this Hollow who had spoken in fear of a human, before bringing his Zanpaktoh down and destroying it. "Damn Hollows."

"Maybe we should check on the others Ichigo."

"They should be fine. Inoue was with them."

"Then who is that lying on the ground and why is Inoue not doing anything for them."

"…maybe we should go check on them, just in case."

_He could hurt Kurosaki-kun…but I can't just let him die……what should I do?_

"Holy shit!! What the hell happened to Naruto?" Inoue looked up sharply. She had been totally lost in her thoughts and hadn't even noticed Ichigo's enormous spirit pressure getting closer.

"Wha—Nartuto? Oh… well…a hollow got him. He's not dead, but he's hurt pretty bad."

"Well then why aren't you helping him?"

"…but…I thought…"

"If you don't hurry he might die."

"oh!...alright…if…if that's what you think I should do." Suddenly an oval shaped light covered Naruto and his wounds began to heal before their very eyes. A few minutes later and the wounds had completely disappeared, as if they never were there.

"What happened anyway? What did this to all these Hollows, and what made that big ass crater?"

"Well…." _Should I tell Kurosaki-kun about Naruto-kun? It probably is best that I do._

"Naruto, came here to-"

"Naruto came to protect us against these hollows. He jumped in front of Inoue, and I, but got hurt. Then the sky got all dark and this meteor crashed right there and blew the hollows apart. That's why they are all like that and the meteor caused the crater. It must have burned up because it's not there anymore, I already checked." Tatsuki interrupted. _What the hell am I doing! I made up this lame ass story to protect his secret just because he asked me to. I barely even know him, and Kurosaki has been my friend for a very long time. His damn gorgeous blue eyes are causing me to lose focus on what's important. Damn it, no boy has ever made me feel this way before. Sheesh, one moment I want to rip his head off for checking out my…wel… checking me out , the next I feel excited because of that intense gaze he had focused on me, DAMN IT!! Damn HIM!!_

"…ok…" _Does Tatsuki expect me to believe that load of shit? Man normally it's Inoue that comes up with these weird ass stories……Wait a minute… _"You can see me?"

"Ichigo, I've been able to see you for a very long time. I've only known you since I was like seven years old." Tatsuki replies with a smirk

"Grrr…you know what I mean."

"Yes I can see you stupid. I've been able to for a couple of weeks now. Although it pisses me off that Ishida knows more about you than I do."

"..ehhe, yeah about that…"

"No need to explain. Everyone has _secrets_ to keep and _reasons _to keep them"

"…Ok… I don't know why you made a point of that, but ok."  
**_"Not only does she look good for a human, she's pretty sharp too."_**

"_Shut the hell up you damn fox. You're really starting to get on my nerves."_

"**_That's what I'm here for brat. She's right though. I'm impressed, it takes most humans years to realize that truth, let alone accept it, for one so young to have already learned that lesson speaks volumes about her character. Everyone has secrets to keep and reasons to keep them._**

Sorry about this chapter everyone. I know it's kinda lame, but every story has it's low points right? Well the next chapter should be interesting. I think the Vazard might be making their debut in it, along with some other interesting people from a certain……. Soul Society. Who knows, I might just be yanking your chain. You'll have to find out later!!!

Next Chapter:

Inner Demons

"Hmm sounds interesting doesn't it…Even I don't know what'll happen."

"EH!! You're the damn author!! Why the hell don't you know what'll happen next. Shouldn't this shit already be planned out!"

"You better watch it kid otherwise I might sic Ichigo on your ass."

"pfft…he don't scare me."

"You'd be surprised."

OH! Sorry everyone. Didn't realize I was having this conversation in front of you all. I'll take it to the next room.

"Damn bastard author trying to scare me. Shithead."

"I heard that you little piece of….." and the angry voices fade into the distance

Fade to black

CUT

And that's a rap.


	6. Chapter 6

Hello everyone. All I have to say is I am very sorry. I have no excuses or reasons for not updating and I am very sorry to those who have asked for updates. I dropped the ball big time. Hopefully I can get into a habit of working on my fics more often.

Still don't own any bleach or natuto related things.

Key: I've been told it is hard to tell between the fox and hollows, thoughts flashbacks etc…. so I decided to make a key and outline which is which.

_Fox speak, Letters, documents, or reports_

_//Hollow speak//_

_--Thoughts--_

_**flashbacks**_

Hopefully that makes sense to everyone. Now on to the story!

A knock at the door drew her intense focus away from the report she had been reading.

"Enter!" She snapped, already in a foul mood because of the report.

"Hokage-sama, I have a letter here for you."

"You interrupted me to give me a letter? Damn it Shikamaru!!! I told you not to bother me unless it was an emergency."

"Sorry, I just thought you'd want to be the first to read a letter from Naruto, but if I was wrong I'll go find Jiriaya."

"DON'T YOU DARE!!! THE PERVERT CAN WAIT!!! NOW GIVE ME THAT LETTER!" With a slight smirk, Shikamaru handed Tsunade the letter.

"I thought that'd do it."

"Well you thought right. When did this arrive?"

"I brought it to you as soon as I got it?"

"I see. So you do value your life after all."

"…I guess you could say that. Is there anything else you need?"

"No, but stick around for a while."

"Why?"

"Because Sakura has been asking about Naruto and I want you to take this to her when I am finished."

"How troublesome." He mutters under his breath.

"Did you say something?" Tsunade asks, in a dangerous tone.  
"No, nothing. I'll be outside when you need me."

"That's what I thought. Dismissed." Shikamaru bows slightly before leaving. Tsunade quickly opens the envelope. Naruto's untidy scrawl meets her eyes and she can't help, but chuckle, at least until she saw how he chose to open the letter. _--That damn brat!! I told him not to call me that!! If it were anyone else I would have put them through a wall long ago. Then again not many Ninja can escape a close situation like Naruto can either. Oh well, he'll get it when he gets back.--_

_Hey Granny Tsunade!_

_I got to Karakura Town without any problems. Some drunk guy tried to steal my money purse, so I knocked him into the river. Helped sober him up some I tell ya, that water was cold as hell. Then I took him to get a hot meal and a warm bed. As I left he was swearing on his mothers dead cat Fifi that he would name his children after me and clean up his life. Pretty weird right?_

_Anyway I met this Ichigo guy that I'm supposed to get to know and he seems average at best. I got in a pretty good scrap with him when we first met, he gave me a black eye and a bloody nose and ya know what? I think I like the guy. He thinks I'm a goof and I think he's too serious, but maybe we'll rub off on each other eh? I'm sure you wouldn't mind if he rubbed off on me. He does have this stuffed animal that talks and moves. I'm not exactly sure why yet, but you did say to look into anything strange and I thing a talking walking stuffed animal counts._

_I've met some of his friends and they have all been pretty good folks so far, but I think some of them are worth investigating just as much as Ichigo. Actually there are things here that I think need to be checked out more than Ichigo and his friends. I got in this crazy huge fight on my second or third day here. I was out with two of Ichigo's friends and we were attacked by these bone covered monsters. I beat them, but it wasn't easy and I got beat up pretty bad. Lucky for me Orihime was there, is she hadn't been I probably would have died. She has some kind of healing abilities that are on par with you and Sakura-Chan. Actually I'm not sure it is even healing, it felt like she was making all the skin and muscle I lost come back like nothing had ever happened. It felt really weird._

_Anyway, these monsters, as was later explained to me are called Hollows, and they are spirits. They are people that have died, but are still attached to something like family or a place. This keeps them from going to Heaven, and then they change into these monsters. They eat the souls of the living, and also the good souls that have yet to pass. I was told normal people can't see them, but I had no problems. Maybe it's because I'm a ninja, or maybe it's just another side effect of my furry little problem, who knows. Other than that it's been pretty uneventfull, and yes you can hurt me for my cheek when I get back._

_It has been kind of lonely and I was wondering if I could write to some of my friends back there in Konoha. I'm sure It'd make it much easier to live here. Just a thought._

_Give everyone my best._

_Future Hokage,_

_Uzumaki Naruto_

_--This kid!!! How come he always finds ways around what I tell him!! At least this time it's a good reason, instead of something stupid. This new information puts this mission at a higher level than what he can take care of himself. Oh well, this way I can kill three birds with one stone.—_

"Shikamaru!! Come here!" The door opens immediately.

"Yes, Tsunade-sama?"

"I want you to find Sakura, Neji, and Kakashi. Bring them to my office at once. The four of you will be leaving on an S-class mission immediately."

"Yes Tsunade-sama right away." This time he didn't bother with the door, but disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"Tch! This is causing more problems than I could have foreseen."

Thirty minutes later...

"Shikamaru, didn't I say to bring them here immediately?"

"Yes, and I brought them as soon as I could. Neji was just coming in from a mission, so it took a lot longer than I thought. Sorry."

"Tch! I guess I can forgive it, being as this isn't an immediate emergency." Shikamaru breaths a sigh of relief. _-- Thank God, I thought I was really gonna get it. – _

"I just received a letter from Naruto today-"

"Really!!"

"Sakura!!! I thought you knew better than to interrupt me!"

"…I'm sorry…please continue."

"As I was saying I got a letter from Naruto, giving me a report of the mission. It seems that the scope of this mission has surpassed what he can handle alone, as amazing as that seems. I am sending you as back up for him. You will be posing as normal citizens for what could be a very long time. This mission has no specific time. It could take anywhere from one month to several years. I think it would be best to keep the same people stationed there, so not to raise suspicion. I will only call you back if there is a crisis. You all will receive a lump sum of money before departing to secure living arrangements, and use however you see fit. Unfortunately we can only afford to pay you this once. To survive you will need to secure jobs. Also for Neji, Shikamaru and Sakura, you will have to attend school."

"WHAT!!!" They all shout in unison. "What do you mean school?"

"It is part of what the mission entails. This is exactly the reason I chose you three out of all the Ninja your age. You are all incredibly smart, and normal school should not be difficult for one of you. Plus Naruto will probably need some help when you get there, as he isn't the sharpest needle in the bunch when it comes to study. In battle situations he is on the same level as any of you, maybe even higher, but with studies he is hopeless."

"What else do we need to know about this mission?" Kakashi asks quietly.

"There isn't really enough time for me to explain all of the details, so Naruto will fill you in when you get there. Naruto will be in charge, because he knows the situation best, but I want you to watch over him Kakashi."

"That could be difficult, as you well know." Tsunade smiles at this comment

"Yes I do know. He can be extremely difficult to keep an eye on, but try your best."

"Where are we supposed to meet him?"

"The name of the city is Karakura, and this is the address of the place he is staying. He will be waiting for you there in five days at noon."

"Ok…then we'll be off." The four of them turn to leave the office, and as they reach the door Tsunade calls to them.

"…and Kakashi."

"Yes Tsunade-sama."

"Try not to be late."

"……yes….I will do my best." With that they all left her office. None of them had any idea that they were heading into the jaws of a storm unlike any the world has ever seen…

Heuco Mundo was on the move!

* * *

So….yeah. I know this chapter may be a little disappointing to those who have waited so long, but after such a long break I had lost my original idea for this chapter and I had to think of a new way to ease back into the story. I hope you like it and I have high hopes for the upcoming chapters. This time I will make sure to write my ideas down so I don't forget instead of trying to wing it.

Next time: Introducing Kakashi, Neji, Sakura, and Shikamaru! Yay!!!


End file.
